WHITE PLAINS — The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has expanded upstate fast-charging options in advance of the busy summer travel season, making it easier and more convenient to drive an electric vehicle (EV) on the Northway (I-87) in the Adirondack Park and in the Capital Region. The additional locations extend New York State’s largest fast-charging network and further its efforts to encourage EV adoption and reduce polluting greenhouse gas emissions.
A new four-charger North Hudson EVolve NY station—with eight Tesla ports—is now open at the Frontier Town Gateway, a seasonal trading post and café in North Hudson in Essex County, just off Exit 29 on the Northway. The location offers the largest high-speed charging station between Albany and Canada. A six-dispenser EVolve NY charging site is also now open in a Rensselaer shopping center at 621 3rd Ave. in Rensselaer, four miles east of downtown Albany.
“The New York Power Authority is continually expanding the EVolve NY fast-charging network making it easier and more convenient every day to drive an electric vehicle across New York State,” said Justin E. Driscoll, Power Authority president and CEO. “The latest fast charger installations will serve the needs of drivers visiting the Adirondack Park or traveling to Canada and benefit area residents commuting to work or driving around town in the Capital Region.”
The North Hudson station is built with an island design, similar to gas stations, to accommodate large vehicles and those towing trailers. A canopy installation is also planned for later this summer to shield users from the sun and weather. NYPA’s EVolve NY network now has 174 chargers statewide at 43 sites.
This week, to help introduce the additional locations and kick off summer travel, NYPA will sponsor a promotion at the North Hudson location, at which EV drivers can mention the phrase “Drive Electric” to a cashier at the site to receive free ice cream. They can choose between a regular cone or an Italian ice. The promotion will run from July 3-8.
The North Hudson location supports New York’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program corridor buildout and is EVolve NY’s third location in the Adirondack region. Charger hubs are also available in Schroon Lake and Keene. The North Hudson site is pre-wired for four additional stations to be energized in the future.
The EVolve NY Rensselaer station includes six chargers located next to a Target store at 621 3rd Ave. On the Electrify America network, the hub consists of six hyper-fast chargers with CCS connectors rated at up to 350 kilowatts. The units provide convenient charging for people visiting Target and the many restaurants and businesses in the area.
Also in the Albany area, construction will soon start on a four-charger site at the Albany Parking Authority’s Lot 3 at 327 Washington Ave., a block from Washington Park Lake. Another four-charger site currently operates in the Quackenbush garage in downtown Albany.
NYPA is collaborating with the New York State Department of Transportation to complete the first phase of the NEVI program to build out the state’s EV charging network along major highways. The program was created as part of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Biden in 2021 and provides New York State $175 million in dedicated federal funding to support the strategic deployment of electric vehicle Level 3 Direct Current Fast Charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network for reliable charging, with an emphasis on locations near interstate highway exits. NEVI is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration and supported by the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. The goal is to meet the NEVI criteria for DCFC locations at least every 50 miles along the state’s designated electric vehicle alternate fuel corridors.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “The NYS Department of Transportation is committed to working with our partners in government and the private sector to advance New York’s investment in cleaner and greener transportation infrastructure. Through our joint efforts under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, we are helping to create a network of conveniently located fast charging stations like these in North Hudson that will make traveling by electric vehicle easier, safer and more reliable.”
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “The expansion of New York’s electric vehicle fast-charging infrastructure network from Albany to the Adirondacks is an exciting development that will further promote the use of EVs across the state. With every new station, local commuters and visitors can feel confident that there is access to convenient charging when they need it, helping to reduce range anxiety, lower emissions and improve air quality in communities across the state.”
